Interfaith Marriages

7/31/2019 Interfaith Marriages

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Interfaith Marriages

Question:At the present time, is it permissible to marry a Jew or aChristian?ANSWERIt is not permissible for a Muslim woman to marry a man who is notMuslim. She becomes a renegade at the moment she makes up hermind to marry a non-Muslim man. (Endless Bliss)

Because there are no dhimmis(non-Muslims living in a Muslim

country and under Islamic laws) today in the world, it is makruhtahrimi--that is, close to haram--for a Muslim male to marry a Christianor a Jewish female. It is not permissible and is a sin.

Marrying a non-Muslim woman involves disadvantages in terms of thechildren they will have in the future. In the past, children were able tosafeguard their religion under the influence of their environment inIslamic states. However, it is very difficult, maybe impossible, todayfor a Muslim man who gets married in a Christian country to protecthis children from the influence of their environment. Even if he lives ina country inhabited by Muslims, it is next to impossible at such a timeas this to bring a child with a non-Muslim mother up under an Islamiceducation. There is no sin graver than bringing one's children up asdisbelievers. He, together with them, will go to Hell. It is declaredinhadith-i sharifs:

(All of you are like shepherds of flocks. As a shepherd protectshis flock, so you should protect your households and thoseunder your command from Hell. You must teach them Islam. If

you do not, you will be held responsible.) [Muslim]


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(Many Muslim children will go to the Hell named Waylbecause oftheir fathers, for their fathers, being seized by the ambition ofearning money and making merry and running after worldlyaffairs only, did not teach their children Islam and the Qur'an al-

karim. I am far removed from such fathers. And they are awayfrom me. Those who do not teach their children their religion willgo to Hell.) [Endless Bliss]

How difficult it is to teach Islam to a child whose mother is a Christian.It is stated in the hadith-i sharifabove that if a father does not teachIslam to his child for any reason whatsoever, he, together with hischild, will go to Hell.

One should marry a good person

Question: Is there racial discrimination in Islam? Is there anythingwrong with marrying a Black, a German, a Japanese, a Gypsy, aSunnite, an Alewite, a Christian, a Buddhist, or an atheist?ANSWERYou have not mentioned whether you are a male or a female becausethe answer to it differs according to sex. In Islam, it is permissible,though being makruh tahrimi, for Muslim males to marry the femalesfrom among the People of the Book [Christian and Jewish women].However, it is not permissible for a Muslim female to marry a malefrom among the People of the Book. She goes out of the fold of Islamat the moment she intends to marry him. Both a Muslim male and aMuslim female cannot marry a Buddhist or an atheist. If they marry,this act takes them out of the fold of Islam.

There is by no means racial discrimination in our religion. There isreligious discrimination. Being a Gypsy or a Black is a racial issue.There is no religious obstacle to marrying him/her if he/she is a piousMuslim.

A Muslim woman can marry a Muslim German or a Muslim Japanese.What matters is that he must be pious. He must perform fivedailysalatsand abstain from forbidden things.

The most important qualities that a man must look for in a woman hewill marry are that she must perform five daily salatsand comply withthe Islamic code of dress for women. If a woman who claims to be aMuslim does not perform five daily salatsand does not observe theIslamic code of dress, it is a sin to marry her. Similarly, if a man whoclaims to be a Muslim does not perform five daily salatsand does not

abstain from forbidden actions, such as drinking, committing


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fornication, and stealing things, it is a sin to marry him. As a matter offact, it is declared in the hadith-i sharifswritten in the book Shir'at-ulIslam:

(Whoever marries his daughter to a fasiq, his supplications andacts of worship will not be accepted.)

(Whoever consents to marry a fasiqman, the statement "Shedespaired of Allah's mercy" will be written on her forehead whenshe rises up from her grave.)

(Whoever wants to get my shafa'ah[intercession], let him notmarry his daughter to a fasiq.)

[The word fasiqis used for a person who commits sins flagrantly. Forexample, a person who does not perform salatsor who does notobserve the Islamic code of dress is a fasiq. It is not right to marryafasiq, that is, someone who sins openly. Marrying someone with acorrupt faith in particular is in no way right.]

A Muslim male should marry a female who has manners, modesty,and good moral conduct, sufficient Islamic knowledge, is committed toIslam, and covers herself compatibly with Islam when she goes out.He should look for a girl who has chastity and who cares for herreligion. Wealth and beauty should not be his priorities. He should notopt for wealth, beauty, race, or color at the sacrifice of chastity andpiety. It is stated in hadith-i sharifs:

(One marries a woman either for her wealth or for her beauty orfor her piety. Choose the one who is religious. A person whomarries a woman because of her wealth will not be able topossess her wealth. A person who marries a woman only for herbeauty will be deprived of her beauty.) [Muslim]

(He who marries a woman for her beauty and wealth will bedeprived of both. However, both wealth and beauty will be givento him who marries a woman for her piety.) [Tabarani]

Conclusion:The person one will marry, whether a male or a female, must avoidforbidden actions, perform acts of worship, and have good moralqualities. One who values only physical appearance and who doesnot listen to the advice of experienced elders will suffer the bad

consequences of it both in this world and in the world to come.


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When one chooses a spouse, the criterion to be used is that thespouse should be a pious Muslim. His or her race and color is notimportant.

Does a person change after marriage?Question: Is it proper to marry a person who does not perform salatora woman who does not cover herself compatibly with Islam in thehope that he will perform it or she will cover herself in the future?ANSWERIt is not proper to marry such a person until he performs salator shecovers herself compatibly with Islam.

Enmity toward Sunnite books

Question: Is it proper to marry a Muslim girl who has not affiliatedherself with any religious groups but at the same who has not readcorrect Sunnite books?ANSWERHer not having read correct books is not all that harmful. What isharmful is to read other corrupt books and thus to bear hostility towardcorrect Islamic books. If she possesses other qualities that arenecessary for marriage and if she does not display enmity towardSunnite books, there is nothing wrong with marrying her.

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Interfaith Marriages